What's worse: orange juice or chocolate milk?

When it comes to nutrition, fruit beats chocolate every time, right? All of us sweet toothed, choc-a-holics have been telling ourselves this sad fact for years as we chomp down on a banana rather than a square (or five) of dairy milk.

However, as it turns out, chocolate milk is actually more nutritious for you than orange juice.

“In this case, I actually think the whole is greater than the sum of parts,” explains accredited practicing dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitian’s Association of Australia, Joel Feren.

“The sugar content of orange juice is very similar to something like a ‘Big M’, but I think where they differ is that milk is a richer source of nutrients.”

“We need to promote dairy because according to the last statistics Australians are falling well short of their recommended intake. A lot of people eschew dairy because of its calorie content, but I think we need to consume foods that are high in nutrients and milk is certainly one of those,” Feren explains.

While it’s still a brilliant idea to sit down to eat an orange, when you drink it it’s much less satiating, meaning you consume more. The Australian Dietary Guidelines don’t recommend more than ½ a cup.

“There is some research to show that increased intake of OJ can actually increase someone’s likelihood of developing diabetes,” Feren adds.

So, can we have as much choccy milk as we like?

“It’s always in context with whatever else you’re eating,” says Feren. “There’s some added sugar, that’s always a concern with flavoured milk, but as I said it’s such a rich source of nutrients. There’s even some evidence that it’s a gold standard for exercise drinks.”

So, if you fancy an appetite and thirst quencher after a sweaty session now and again, choccy milk over orange juice is the way to go.

Of course, choosing plain milk is always going to be better for you - think the same benefits and less sugar. “You could have a glass poured over your cereal or drunk in conjunction with your morning toast. Then you might just have the flavoured milk as a post-exercise protein shake.”

Good news, when it comes to the content of our fridge – this great Australian staple stays.